https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986217737618
Gifted Child Quarterly
2018, Vol. 62(1) 25–36
© 2017 National Association for
Gifted Children
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DOI: 10.1177/0016986217737618
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Article
Despite the United States’ image of being the land of oppor-
tunity, for many children living in poverty, access to gifted
education opportunities is often limited. For instance, Kena
et al. (2016) found that approximately 20% of school-aged
children come from families living in poverty, a 5% increase
from 2000. Moreover, 14 states and the District of Columbia
had poverty rates higher than the U.S. average. While the
national picture provides one side of poverty trends, when
looking at the data by race/ethnicity, it becomes more appar-
ent which groups of students are disproportionately living in
poverty. In 2014, Black (38%), American Indian/Alaska
Native (35%), Hispanic (32%), and Pacific Islander (27%)
students came from families living in poverty compared with
12% of White and Asian students (Kena et al., 2016).
Although living in poverty does not define a child’s ability to
succeed in school, it can certainly have a significant impact
on school performance and outcomes (Ford, Grantham, &
Frazier-Trotman, 2007).
While Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska
Native serve as the majority of students attending schools
who come from families living in poverty, they are vastly
underrepresented in gifted and talented programs (Ford,
2013). Most recent data from the Office of Civil Rights
Data Collection (2015) for the 2011-2012 school year show
that Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native
students comprise 8.9%, 16.8%, and 1% of students in
gifted and talented programs, respectively, compared with
59.9% of White students who, conversely, are overrepre-
sented in gifted education programs. For nearly 80 years,
scholars have discussed in great detail the underrepresenta-
tion of Black and Hispanic students in gifted education
regardless of their income level (see Baldwin, 1987; Ford,
2013; Ford, Whiting, Goings, & Alexander, 2017; Frasier,
1989; Jenkins, 1939).
More recently, scholars have begun to discuss educational
access and outcomes for students who come from families
living in poverty; seldom is this focus on students who are
gifted. As a result, little is known about gifted students who
live in poverty and even less is known about gifted students
of color who come from low-income families (Ford,
Grantham, & Whiting, 2008; Stambaugh & Wood, 2015;
VanTassel-Baska & Stambaugh, 2007). Without this infor-
mation, educators and families are challenged to identify and
support this specific student population. Moreover, while
scholars have advocated for the representation of gifted stu-
dents living in poverty (Grantham, 2003; VanTassel-Baska,
Johnson, & Avery, 2002; VanTassel-Baska & Stambaugh,
2007), it is important to take a macro view of the field of
gifted education to analyze the ways in which scholars dis-
cuss the experiences of gifted students of color who live in
737618GCQ XX X 10.1177/0016986217737618Gifted Child QuarterlyGoings and Ford
research-article 2017
1
Loyola University Maryland, Timonium, MD, USA
2
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
Corresponding Author:
Ramon B. Goings, Department of Education Specialties, School of
Education, Loyola University Maryland, Timonium Graduate Center, 26B,
2034 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, MD 21093, USA.
Email: rbgoings@loyola.edu
Investigating the Intersection of Poverty
and Race in Gifted Education Journals:
A 15-Year Analysis
Ramon B. Goings
1
and Donna Y. Ford
2
Abstract
Using a two-phase content analysis approach, this study examined how education scholars have discussed the intersection of
giftedness, race, and poverty in gifted academic journals from 2000 to 2015. Specifically, the authors explored the following
questions: (a) What are the characteristics of studies published that explore the intersection of giftedness, poverty, and
students of color? (b) How do scholars discuss and theorize about how to recruit and retain gifted students of color who
come from families living in poverty? (c) In what ways do scholars discuss the intersection of race and poverty for gifted
students of color? Findings indicated that while studies were focused on students of color, there was limited discussion about
the impact of race and poverty on the recruitment and retention of gifted students of color who come from families living in
poverty. Implications and future research are discussed.
Keywords
poverty, giftedness, race, students of color, gifted education, content analysis